Beat the heat—stay cool and hydrated this summer
With the sweltering days and steamy nights of summer, it’s hard to stay calm, cool, and protected from dehydration. When temperatures rise and you spend more time outdoors, your body needs additional fluids to function and stay well-hydrated. If you don’t get enough hydration in hot weather, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated, which is a serious condition that can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, kidney damage, stroke, and even death. While it’s important to stay hydrated in summer, you don’t need to get all hot and bothered about hydration. Summer safety and outdoor fun can go hand-in-hand with these hydration tips for summer. These easy tips will help you stay cool, stay active, and stay hydrated in summer.
Go for H2O
One of the top hydration tips for summer is drinking plenty of water. Drinking enough water is essential for keeping your body healthy and hydrated, especially as the weather gets warmer and you are more active outdoors. Water keeps your heart pumping, your body cool, and your muscles working. It also protects your brain, helps cells survive, lubricates your joints, and makes your skin look much more youthful.
Understand your needs for hydration in hot weather
Now that you know you need to drink more water during summer, how much should you drink? The amount of hydration you need is based on several personal factors, including your age, health, weight, activity level, alcohol use, and external factors like the heat and the overall humidity. One of the basic hydration tips is to start with eight, 8-ounce glasses of water each day, then add more depending on your body’s daily needs. But, before you go for your glass, ask your SignatureMD-affiliated doctor about the amount of water you personally need each day and if you should take any special precautions to avoid becoming dehydrated in the heat.
Whet your appetite for water
Is the idea of drinking more water not to your liking? Don’t sweat it because you can still stay hydrated in summer by eating your water as well. Many fruits and vegetables are full of water and can serve as a valuable source of H2O. Along with being hydrating and refreshing, fruits and veggies are brimming with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, and they’re by far the most delicious of these hydration tips. So, when the temperature’s rising and you start to feel a bit dehydrated, reach for water-packed fruits and veggies, such as watermelon, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, grapefruit, strawberries, and celery. Of course, you’ll still need to drink some water to meet your body’s hydration needs. Yet, if you’re fed up with constantly chugging water but you’re worried about hydration, summer safety and satisfaction can be yours with these water-packed fruits and veggies.
Keep clothing light and loose
If your summer is typically spent in tight, clingy clothes, you may find it hard to stay cool and comfortable. When you’re trying to cool off, put on lightweight, light-colored clothing with a looser, larger fit. Lightweight clothing with an open weave allows heat to escape from your body to help you feel nice and cool. And, light-colored clothing reflects the sun’s rays and heat to keep them away from your body, rather than absorbing them like darker hues do. The more heat absorbed by your body, the hotter you’ll feel. You’ll also need to put on sunscreen over any exposed skin and wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face. Sunburns affect your body’s natural ability to cool down and can quickly leave you dehydrated.
Soak up the water
Keep your cool this summer by taking cool showers and baths. While the fresh, cool water from the tub and shower won’t do much for hydration, it’ll prevent you from sweating as much, which will help you avoid losing additional fluids. Pouring cool water on your skin will bring down your body’s core temperature to help you cool down faster. If you’re far from a shower or tub, take a dip in a swimming pool, lake, creek, or ocean instead for a cool break from the heat of summer.
Stay in the shade
Retreat from the heat by finding relief in the shade. Moving out of direct sunlight gives your body a much-needed break from the blazing heat of the sun. Wherever you are outdoors, look for a shady spot under a tree, beneath an umbrella, or below a canopy tent. Don’t see any shade nearby? Carry your own by toting a portable umbrella or wearing a wide-brimmed hat to take cover whenever you need a reprieve from the sun.
When summer starts to heat up, keep cool with these refreshing hydration tips for summer.
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/extremeheat/
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/staying-cool-and-hydrated-on-hot-summer-days-3522345
- https://health.usnews.com/wellness/slideshows/8-ways-to-stay-hydrated-this-summer-without-drinking-water?slide=12
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